From Harry Potter to rock ‘n’ roll: 5 themed hotels to try on your next trip

From Harry Potter to rock ‘n’ roll: 5 themed hotels to try on your next trip

Tired of the standard cookie-cutter digs at all the major chain hotels and motels? Opt for more inspiring lodgings by booking a stay in a themed hotel instead. From a boutique aboriginal lodge to a James Brown-themed hotel room, there’s no shortage of unique rooms out there to suit every type of traveller.

Here’s a look at five themed hotels you may want to consider on your next trip:

Located in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, the Skwachàys Lodge and Residence contains a fair trade gallery, boutique hotel, as well as an Aboriginal artist residence. The hotel was named in a traditional ceremony by the chief of the Squamish Nation, reflecting the traditional aboriginal name of the area located at the head of the False Creek.

Designed with the socially responsible traveller in mind, the lodge contains 18 hotel units, each with a unique design. The hotel, which also provides shelter apartments for at risk aboriginal people, has a rooftop sweat lodge and smudge room, and studio space.

Surround yourself in Hollywood luxury or stay cozy inside a railway car at the Fantasyland Hotel in Edmonton.

The hotel, which is located at the city’s West Edmonton Mall and entertainment complex, offers several themed rooms for travellers to kick up their feet, from a Roman luxury room to a country Western-themed room. There’s even a truck-themed room, where the bed is mounted in the back of a flat-bed truck.

Each of the 51 rooms at the quirky McMenamins Crystal Hotel in Portland, Ore., is inspired by an artist who has performed at the adjacent Crystal Ballroom over the past 100 years.

From B.B. King to Blondie, each room features original art work, headboards and panels inspired by a different musician. There’s even some Canadian acts who’ve made the cut, with one room inspired by Montreal’s Arcade Fire.